1--Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns testing at least one cell in a cellular telecommunication network, in particular to detect malfunctions in fixed communication means serving said cell.
2--Description of the Prior Art
A cellular telecommunication system includes mobile stations and fixed communication means. The fixed communication means further comprise fixed base transceiver stations to each of which are allocated radio communication channels for exchanging digital information with mobile stations spread around the cells of the network. At least one signalling radio channel carries protocol signalling signals for setting up and clearing down calls between mobile stations and telephone terminals connected to the fixed communication means via the switched telephone network. The fixed communication means also comprise controllers, switching centers, location registers and transmission media for digital information and telephone signals thereby switching calls requested by the mobile stations and addressed to the mobile stations, locating the mobile stations in the network and managing the traffic in the cellular telecommunication network.
In cellular telecommunication networks as defined hereinabove, malfunctions of means directly associated with transmitting and receiving calls in a given cell are not detected by supervisory and maintenance means included in the cellular telecommunication network. For example, an irregularity during a call with a mobile station in a given cell is not reported. More generally, no supervisory means are currently provided for detecting any untimely termination or clearing down during the setting up, the conversation phase or the release of an outgoing or incoming call.